Toy



Oct. 6, 1931. we. ROEDER TOY Filed April 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mill/am 0. fioeaer Oct. 6, 1931.

w. p. ROEDER TOY Filed Apri-l 18, 1931 2 shuts-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 6, 1931 PATENT OFFIC WILLIAM O. ROEDER} OF OSH'KOSH," WISCONSIN" TOY 1 Application filed .Apri1"1'8;-

This invention relates to toys and has for the primary object, the provision ofa device of the abovestated character whichwill provide amusement to both children and adults A and willrepresent a hurdle race betweentwo or more figures which may. bein the form of horses ridden by'jockeys or may bein any other form of animal.

Another object ofthis invention is the proxn vision of a track having a? hurdle and over which the figuresare propelled by a driving means andjin sucha mannerthatlthe figures will have .a galloping 'efiectand will elevate the figures when arriving/atthe-hurdle so 155 that they clear the latter with. the effect ofa closely contested race. 1

A further object ofthis invention is the provision 'ofmeans whereby the figures during their travel aboutthe track will have the: effect of gaining, and losing in the race relativeto each other. a a I p A still further robjectoffthis invention is the provisionof atoy of the ab'ovestated character which will be simple, durable and efii rcient and which may be manufacturedand soldat a comparatively low cost.

I With these and other, objects in view this invention consistsin certain novellfeatures of construction, combination and arrange-' ment-of parts to be hereinafter more fully clescribed and claimed. I

For a complete understanding of my' in-, vention, reference is to be had to the follow ing description andaccompanying drawings, 3 in which p Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating. a; toy constructed" in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side same. a

Figure 3"is a bottomplan-view illustrating the power source, 1 V Figure 4is a side elevationpartly broken away illustratingrthe power source and the figures in thewact of passing. over the hurdle;

elevation. illustrating the 4.01.. i

1931.- Seria1'No.531,1'32.

c modified .form of figure.

Figure 9. is a perspectiveview illustrating a clipffor preventing! side motion of the 'fig ures duringv the operation of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a circular base, the-top 1. face ofwhich forms an annular track 2 havingmounted thereon a hurdle 3. The-base 1- centrally of the track is provided with a socket or depressionA: having an aperture to receive the lower end of a vertically disposed post 5 carrying at itsupper end-a segmental gear 6. The gear and post remainstationary and saidposthas journalled thereon a sleeve 7. to which a gear 8 is secured and located within the depression4 and extending through a slot 9 formed in one wall thereof'to mesh with a train of gears harming a partof va spring motor 10 mounted within thebase. The sleeve 7 is held against upward movement on the post by a stop {collar 7 It is'to be understood that the base is of f hollow formation so that the motor may be located therein as clearly shown in Figure i andhh-as a control ll-which extendsthrough a slot 12" in the track 2 whereby the motor 30,

may be set in operation and stopped when desired p I An: upwardly and outwardly diverging arm 12 is-secured to the sleeve 7 and rotates: therewith and carries at the outer'end-a-j ournal c 13 to rotatably support I ashaft 14-. which vhas secured at'its inner-end -a -gear:15 engagingthe-teethofthe segmental gear 6, whereby upon the movement of theshaft in a circularpath about'thetrack by the-rotation: ofthe sleeve 7, the shaft 14 will be rotated. The outer end of the shaft is formed into a pair of cranks 16 on which are pivotally mounted figures 17. Spacing collars 18 are located on the cranks 16 at opposite sides of the figures 17 for the purpose of preventing the figures from having undue side motion consequently preventing the figures from becoming tangled with each other during the operation of the device.

The journal. 13 is pivotally secured to the outer end of the arm 12 as shown at 19 and a tension spring 20 is interposed between the journal and the arm by being mounted on the pivot 19 for the purpose of normally urging the inner end of the shaft downwardly thus maintaining the gear in mesh with the 1 segmental gear 6. The segmental gear 6 has formed thereon a downwardly inclined lip or flange 21 adapted to be engaged by the ar 15 during the travel of the shaft 14: about t e track, and as the gear leaves the segmental gear 6 and moves downwardly by the action of the s ring the outer end of the shaft is elevated? The elevatin of the outer end of the shaft takes place when the figures arrive adjacent to the hurdle and after the figures have passed the hurdle, the gear engages the lip elevating the inner end of the shaft and "lowering the outer end thereof to bring the figures 1n close proximity to the track, thus it will be seen that a very efficient means has been provided for causing the figures to clear the hurdle and return to engagement with the track.

The figures for convenience of illustration are shown in the form of horses having slots 22 to receive the cranks 16 between the spacing collars 18, and the legs of the horses touch the surface of the track lightly when the cranks reach their lowermost position so that the horses will be given a galloping effect, and due to the arrangement of the cranks, the horses of each pair will move relative to each other in a forward and rearward motion to give the effect of one horse gaining on the other. By having the slots 22 in the figures or horses they will maintain a per endicular position when clearing the hurdi stated position during their travel about that portion of the track not obstructed by the urdle.

The spring motor 10 may be wound by a key 23 projecting upwardly through the top face of the base.

As shown in Figure 8, the figure or horse has an opening in that portion illustrating the jockey to receive the crank of the shaft and is provided with a slot 24 throu h which a clip 25 is passed and the latter is o V-shape having openings 26 in the ends thereof to receive the crank. The fi res are so mounted on the cranks that the c ips keep the figures properly positioned and prevent them from e as 50 shown in Figure 2 as well as retaining the having undue side motion and becoming tan gled with each other.

While I have shown and described the pre ferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing. from the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A toy comprising a circular track, a hurdle on said track, a postlocatedicentraily of said track, a segmental gear'carried by said post, combined supporting and propel-- ling means journalled on the post, a shaft journalled to said means, a gear secured to said shaft and engaging the segmental gear to rotate the shaft during the rotation of said combined supporting and propelling means, means for rotating said last named means, cranks on said shaft, and figures carried by the cranks.

2. A toy comprising a circular track, a hurdle on said track, a post located centrally of said track, a segmental gear carried by said post, combined supporting and propelling means journalled on the post, a shaft journalled to said means, a gear secured to said shaft and engaging the segmental gear to rotate the shaft during the rotation of said combined supporting and propelling means, means for rotating said last named means, cranks on said shaft, and figures pivotally secured to the cranks.

3. A toy comprising a circular track, a hurdle on said track, a post located centrally of said track, a segmental gear carried by said post, combined supporting and propel ling means journalled on the post, a shaft journalled to said means, a gear secured to said shaft and engaging the segmental gear to rotate the shaft during the rotation of said combined supporting and propellin means, means for rotating said last name means, cranks on said shaft, figures pivotally secured to the cranks, and spacing collars on the cranks located at opposite sides of the figures to prevent said figures from becoming tangled.

4. A toy comprising a circular track, a hurdle on said track, a post located centrally of said track, a segmental gear secured to the post, a sleeve journalled on the post, a supportlng arm carried by the sleeve, journals plvote to the arm, a shaft rotatably mounted in the journals, a gear secured to said shaft and en aging the segmental gear, tension means or urging the innerend of the shaft downwardly to cause the gear of said shaft to move in a plane below the segmental gear when disengaged therefrom, cranks formedon the outer end of the shaft, figures journalled to said cranks, means for rotating the sleeve, and an inclined flange formed on the segmental gear to be engaged by the gear 1 0 a of the shaft when the last named gear has moved in a plane below the segmental gear.

5. A toy comprising a hollow base having its upper face of circular form to provide an annular track, a post carried by the base, a segmental gear secured to the post, a sleeve journalled on the post, arm carried by said sleeve, bearing pivoted to said arm, a shaft journalled in said bearings, a gear secured to said shaft and engaging the segmental gear and adapted to move ofi said gear during the rotation of the sleeve, tension means for urging the inner end of the shaft downwardly, cranks formed on the outer end of the shaft, figures journalled to said cranks, a downwardly inclined flange formed on the segmental gear for elevating the outer end of the shaft when the gear of said shaft becomes disengaged from the segmental gear, and a spring motor carried by the base for rotating the sleeve.

6. A toy comprising a circular track, a hurdle on said track, a post located centrally of said track, a segmental gear secured to the post, a sleeve journalled on the post, an arm carried by said sleeve, a bearing pivoted to the arm, a shaft journalled in said bearings, a gear secured to the shaft to engage and disengage the segmental gear during the rotation of the sleeve, cranks formed on the outer end of the shaft, tension means between the arm and bearings for urging the inner end of the shaft downwardly, figures journalled on the cranks and having slots, clips extend ing through the slots and journalled to the cranks, and means for rotating the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' WILLIAM O; ROEDER. 

